White House calls attention to HealthCare.gov as key deadline looms

The White House is reminding people that Monday is the deadline to sign up for private health insurance under Obamacare and be covered by the start of the new year.

It blasted out an email on Wednesday that boasts 1.2 million Americans have signed up for coverage through subsidized state marketplaces or Medicaid since Oct. 1.

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But then it brought up Dec. 23, a red-letter deadline for the Obama administration in light of the large number of people who face a coverage gap after Jan. 1 because their existing health plans did not meet the Affordable Care Act’s coverage requirements.

It said the uninsured should head to HealthCare.gov right away to seek coverage, or let others know about the site.

“While the website’s launch had its share of problems, the reality is there have been huge improvements,” the White House said. “Today, Americans all around the country are signing up for coverage. And millions more are already getting expanded benefits under the health reform law.”

Feeling the heat, the Obama administrate has encouraged insurers to let consumers sign up for coverage even after the Dec. 23 deadline, and still get it in time for January. They’ve also encouraged the companies to let people enroll retroactively in mid-January, so they qualify for a government subsidy that would take affect Jan. 1.